Decorative lamp shades

ABSTRACT

A lamp shade that is decorative and which can also be sold in &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;kit form&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; to be built by hobbyists, to be used as a kit for both educational purposes and for manual dexterity training, and which can also be easily assembled by handicapped persons such as the blind. The lamp shade has a translucent colored plastic liner which provides the inner portion of the shade and also provides a form on which to stack elongated members in interleaved relation. The liner and elongated members have corresponding alignment indicia on them to facilitate the proper alignment of the elongated members on the liner.

United States Patent [151 3,675,008 Hill 1 July 4, 1972 [54] DECORATIVELAMP SHADES FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Clifford W.Hill, Pardeeville, Wis. 319,788 4/ 1920 Germany ..240/108 [22] Filed:April 1970 Primary ExaminerRichard C. Queisser [21] Appl. No.: 32,793 7Assistant Examiner-Marvin Smollar Attorney-Joseph G. Werner, Theodore J.Long, John M. Winter and James A. Kemmeter [57] ABSTRACT A lamp shadethat is decorative and which can also be sold in kit form to be built byhobbyists, to be used as a kit for both educational purposes and formanual dexterity training, and which can also be. easily assembled byhandicapped persons such as the blind. The lamp shade has a translucentcolored plastic liner which provides the inner portion of the shade andalso provides a form on which to stack elongated members in interleavedrelation. The liner and elongated members have corresponding alignmentindicia on them to facilitate the proper alignment of the elongatedmembers on the liner.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures INVENTOR.

AT TORNE YS P'ATE'N'TEDJUL 4-1972 CLIFFORD W. HILL BY FIELD OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a decorative lamp shade, and moreparticularly to a lamp shade that has a plastic shell and elongatedmembers stacked on the shell in interleaved relation forming adecorative exterior of the lamp shade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, my invention comprises a decorativelamp shade which is for use on a lamp where the user desires to have alamp that is useful, decorative and a conversation piece. Another objectis to provide a lamp shade that can be sold in kit form which is easy toassemble and yet the finished product is a very attractive anddecorative lamp shade.

A further object is to provide a kit that can be used for botheducational purposes and for manual dexterity training.

A still further object is to provide a lamp shade that can be easilyassembled by handicapped persons, such as the blind.

These objects are accomplished by my lamp shade, which can bedistributed in kit form, and which has a liner that is a polygonalshaped plastic shell which serves as the inner portion of the completedshade. This liner is preferably made of a colored translucent plastic.It thereby provides not only the structural strength and building formfor the completed shade, but also adds to the decorativeness andattractiveness of the lamp on which it is used. When the lamp, on whichmy shade is used, is lighted, besides providing a reflective surface todirect the light outward and downward, the shade also has spaces betweenthe interleaved elongated members through which is emitted light coloredby the translucent plastic liner. Elongated members are stacked on theouter surface of this shell in interleaved spaced relation. The sidesand panels of the plastic shell have alignment indicia on them formating with corresponding alignment indicia on the elongated members.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing apreferred embodiment of my lamp shade liner.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of my lamp shade liner partiallycovered by elongated members stacked in interleaved spaced relation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views, the liner of my lamp shade is generally shown at 10inFIG. I. Liner I is made of plastic, and preferably a colored translucentplastic, and has the form of a polygonal shaped shell. In the particularembodiment shown the liner is an octagonal shaped shell 11, but can beformed into any multi-sided shape that is desired.

Shell 11 has a first plurality of substantially upright sides 12, eachof said sides having upper edges 13 and lower edges 14. The same numberof tapered panels 15 as there are sides 12 extend inwardly and upwardlyfrom upper edges 13 of sides 12. However, it is recognized that adifferent number of tapered panels than sides can be used. A secondplurality of substantially upright sides 16 extend from edges 17 oftapered panels 15. A polygonal shaped panel 18 forms a substantiallyhorizontal top of shell 1 1. This polygonal shaped panel 18substantially closes the shell 1 1 at the top by connecting all of thesecond plurality of upright sides 16 at their upper edges 19. In anotherembodiment the second plurality of upright sides 16 could be simplyeliminated and the polygonal shaped panel 18 could form the samesubstantially horizontal top of the shell 11 by connecting with all ofthe tapered panels 15 at their edges 17. In still another embodiment theupright sides 12 and tapered panels 15 could be replaced by a pluralityof tapered si es or panels that taper upwardly an inwardly to be joinedat an apex or by a polygonal shaped panel such as panel 18.

Extending outwardly from the lower edges 14 of shell 11 is a continuousflange 20. Although the flange 20 shown in the accompanying drawings isa continuous flange, an alternative would be to substitute a pluralityof smaller individual flanges at required points along the lower edges14. Flange 20 serves as a base from which to begin the stacking ofelongated members 21, as partially shown in FIG. 2, that form the outerportion of my lamp shade. The polygonal shaped top panel 18 and thesecond plurality of substantially upright sides 16 have openings 22 sothat air may pass through the shell 1 1 and thus provide ventilation forcooling of the light source.

Sides 12 and tapered panels 15 have alignment indicia 23 thereon. Thesealignment indicia may be either raised indicia or indented indicia. Theelongated members 21 have corresponding alignment indicia (not shown)for mating with the alignment indicia 23. If alignment indicia 23 onsides 12 and panels 15 are raised indicia, then the alignment indicia onthe elongate members 21 would be an indented or slotted type indicia. Ifalignment indicia 23 are indented indicia, then the correspondingalignment indicia on the elongated member 21 would be a raised indicia.This allows for a simple alignment of the elongated members 21 in aproper relationship with sides 12 and tapered panels 15 when theelongated members are stacked up and around the liner 11. Moreover, suchalignment indicia also make it easy for handicapped persons, such as theblind, to assemble my lamp shade.

Referring now to FIG. 2, elongated members 21 are shown stacked aroundthe shell 1 1. l have found that popsickle sticks serve as verysatisfactory elongate members. In the illustration, only the first fewtiers of elongated members are shown as this is sufficient to show theinterleaved relation in which the members are stacked and the spacesthat are formed between the elongated members and through which coloredlight is emitted. Elongated members 21 are stacked around the fullperiphery of liner 11 adjacent to all of its sides 12, tapered panels15, and sides 16 as well as on the panel 18. In the preferred embodimentall of the elongated members 21 are stacked substantially horizontal asshown in the illustration. However, the particular user could stack themembers in accordance with his own design without deviating from myinvention.

At the juncture 24 where the elongated members 21 are stacked on top ofeach other, any fastener may be used but I have found ordinary whiteglue to be most satisfactory. The elongated members 21 that are stackedimmediately adjacent flange 20 are attached to flange 20 by any suitablefastener such as adhesives, rivets, or brads. This secures the outerportion of my lamp shade, which is formed by the stacked elongatedmembers, to the liner 10.

It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particularconstruction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described,but embraces all such modified forms thereof as may come within thescope of the following claims.

I claim 1. A lamp shade comprising a translucent liner having aplurality of upright sides, flange means extending outwardly from thelower edges of said sides, a plurality of elongated flattened elementsstacked upon said flange to form a plurality of interleaving columns,the elements of each column being supported at their ends and spacedfrom the next element by the interleaving portions of the two adjacentcolumns, and means to hold said elements in place, whereby light maypass through said translucent liner and said spaces.

1. A lamp shade comprising a translucent liner having a plurality ofupright sides, flange means extending outwardly from the lower edges ofsaid sides, a plurality of elongated flattened elements stacked uponsaid flange to form a plurality of interleaving columns, the elements ofeach column being supported at their ends and spaced from the nextelement by the interleaving portions of the two adjacent columns, andmeans to hold said elements in place, whereby light may pass throughsaid translucent liner and said spaces.